Why Parents Find It Hard To Say Sorry To Their Kids

We always ask our children to say sorry when they have done something that we don’t particularly agree with. But isn’t it ironic to think that when it’s our time to say sorry, we find it so hard to do?

Saying sorry is synonymous to admitting that we have made a poor decision that has resulted to something unfavourable. Parents commit mistake. Let us admit this; otherwise, we are just lying to ourselves. Being a parent does not mean that we are already perfect. There are things that we do and regret later on. In this case, we have to say sorry.

Our children look up to us. But will their respect towards us diminish if we admit our mistake and say sorry? A big NO. According to a research study, children actually respect their parents even more if they realize that their parents know how to accept mistake and take responsibility. After all, our children live by example right? How can we tell them to say sorry when we find it hard to do so ourselves?

So what makes it too hard for parents to say sorry to their kids? There are a number of reasons:

1. We want to maintain the image that we have set on the eyes of our children. We want our children to perceive us as perfect – that we are the perfect examples.

2. Saying sorry lowers down our pride. We always assume that we are above our children and it should never be the other way around. It hurts our pride to admit our mistake.

3. It humiliates us, at times, to accept that we are mistaken. This is particularly true if we have engaged in an argument with our children and in the end, our children prove to be right.

4.We fear that our children will respect and trust us less if they know that we are not as perfect as they think. We always want to maintain our children’s respect towards us.

Personally, I am not afraid to admit my mistakes in front of my son. I say sorry quite often too. I don’t think that it diminishes my son’s respect towards me in any way. Honestly, it has even helped my son to accept his own mistakes too.

Parenting is a tough job but it doesn’t mean that parents should be as tough. We commit mistakes and we should learn to admit them and be humble enough to say sorry.

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.